Movie Collector 6 takes away some things, adds others

Previously in this space, I’ve waxed enthusiastic about a DVD database program called “Movie Collector.” Available for download from Collectorz.com, it is extremely useful for cataloging your DVD collection, especially if you have a large one. The latest update is now available, and while I still highly recommend the program, I do miss some of the features in Version 5.

The Good:

All of the features here are the same or slightly improved from previous versions. But they’re so good that I’m listing them again.

The best feature of this program is the ability to scan the DVD barcode (if you have a barcode scanner – if not, they have one for sale) or type in the name of the film, then use the Internet to lookup almost all of the pertinent data. And I don’t just mean title. I mean a whole boatload of data. Actors and their characters, directors, producers, plots, ratings, extras, front and back cover images, the works. Even stuff I didn’t think would be useful has come in handy. And they’re easy to edit as well.

If you have box sets, such as a television season, you can sub-categorize the discs within that set. For example, I have 29 years of “Star Trek.” Each year has its own entry and is sorted chronologically. Each box has around seven discs with four episodes per disc. Using the “Episodes and Features” tab, I can enter the episode titles for each individual disc, and I can go to StarTrek.com and copy/paste the plot into the database field for each particular episode. A related feature is the “Series” grouping feature. For instance, the six “Star Wars” films are loaded individually, but there is the option to list them all as being part of the same film series.

The print function is nice as well. I’m still working on the project, but I hope to have a printed catalog available that lists all of the information for each disc. It will fill a hefty binder, but that’s alright.

If you purchase the Pro version, you get a “library” function that allows you to keep track of who you’ve loaned discs to. I have a large number of in-laws who find it cheaper to borrow movies from me than go to Blockbuster or have a Netflix queue. I don’t have a problem with that, but I like to know who’s got what and for how long. The program allows you to “check out” discs, set a time frame for them to return it, and see who’s overdue. (It doesn’t assess fines, though.)

Other bennies: program integration with PowerDVD (for PC), Mac and PC version available, support for Blu-ray discs, a “Collection Status” check box, the ability to download a list to your PDA or iPod (so you know what you have in your collection when you go shopping), and more.

The bad (well, not really bad, but disagreeable)

The program’s newest touted feature is that it now uses Collectorz.com’s own exclusive database to gather information about the films you enter in, instead of extracting from IMDB, Amazon, DVD Empire and others. Granted, this means faster lookups and downloads, but I likedthat feature. It does utilize Amazon in case of discrepancies, but I’d prefer that there were an “advanced users” option that brought back that functionality from Version 5. It does give you links to the Amazon and IMDB sites on each entry.

My reason for that is as a reviewer I get discs that are not released to the public as of yet, so they aren’t always in the Collectorz’s database. If they are, the entry is not complete. For example, I just got “Battlestar Galactica Season 4.0″ in the mail. When I initially entered it, it did not have all of the episodes listed. Granted, there is an “Update” feature (and now the episodes are listed), but there’s no season or plot descriptions. I also liked Version 5′s method of downloading the Amazon plot description to the “Plot” field. Now I have to manually enter it. That’s okay, but it adds a chore that wasn’t required before.

If you’re a movie nerd like me, then you’re going to spend hours tweaking the database to get what you want out of it anyway, so this is a minor quibble in the overall scheme.

As stated above, there’s an “Update” feature. But it doesn’t quite go far enough. For example, if I upgrade my conventional DVD to the Blu-ray edition, I’d like the program to go get the new barcode and covers, then purge the old information out of the database. Perhaps an “upgrade edition” button?

Bottom line: Still highly recommended

If you just want to easily keep track of your DVDs, this is the way to go. I’d recommend the Pro version for its “check out” feature. I also recommend that you get a scanner, especially if you have a large collection. It will save you a lot of time and data entry. You might also look at their other database programs for books, music CDs, MP3s, comic books, computer games and photos. (The scanner works with those programs as well.)

If you’re upgrading from a previous version, it depends on how much you liked the ability to extract data from other sources. I don’t mind the Collectorz’s database; I just want an “advanced users” option. That’s the only flaw that I see at this point. And if they correct that, and they probably will, because they are one of the few companies I’ve dealt with that actually listen to their customer base, then I’ll post an update to this review.

Harry Thomas

4 Responses

I prefer freeware Movienizer, it’s not worse, and even in some features better than commercial movie organizing tools. I like that the collection is devided into persons and movies which makes it more comfortable to search for a particular actor when you just remember in what movie he played.

Just like you, I resented the removal of other data sources such as Amazon.

However, when I appealed to the authors, they smugly responded that the new “feature” is easier for their users. Perhaps, but they can make their application easier without crippling it.

In my cynical moments, I imagine that the authors are trying:

1. To peddle their scanner;

2. To fancy that they can eventually build a massive, proprietary database from which they will profit somehow.

All the same, it’s rude enough that they take away functionality. What is even harder to bear is that they – the “CEO”! – wrote back to me gloating about the “improvement”, like a self-satisfied imbecile.

Thanks for the review. I hope theguys at Collectorz listen to your comments about removing the Amazon and IMDB searches. I already sent an email to Collector a month or so ago complaining about the same issue.

They have done the same thing to all their programs, so I’m not sure if they are going to undo it or not. Like you, I have found their databases lacking. I like to use the Collector programs as wishlists. If I see a movie at the theater I like, then I add it to my “Wanted” list long before they even announce the DVD release. This is easy when you can download information from IMBD. I couldn’t do that with the new version.

Anyway, I am happy with the previous versions of Movie and Book Collector and will stick with them unless they decide to put this feature back in.

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